WWE SummerSlam 2018 Matches: Betting Odds, Predictions for Roman Reigns and More

Betting on any sport is risky, but choosing to put your money in something like pro wrestling is even more dangerous due to the pre-determined results. 

Some might think they can make some easy money because WWE has become so predictable, but because Vince McMahon and the creative team can change plans at the last second, there is never a guarantee.

SummerSlam is one of the biggest pay-per-views of the year, and with 13 scheduled matches, there are going to be a lot of people looking to make a quick buck with bookies who are willing to accept bets on pro wrestling.

Sunday's show will take place at the Barclay's Center in Brooklyn, which will be the fourth consecutive year this venue has hosted the annual event.

Let's go through everything you need to know about SummerSlam and which Superstars are the safest bets.

The Card

SummerSlam 2018 will feature at least 13 matches, according to WWE.com. If the show is running short, management may add a random bout at some point, but here is a rundown of what we are confirmed to see on Sunday:

• (Pre-Show) Cedric Alexander vs. Drew Gulak (Cruiserweight Championship)
• (Pre-Show) The B-Team vs. The Revival (Raw Tag Team Championships)
• (Pre-Show) Rusev and Lana vs. Andrade "Cien" Almas and Zelina Vega
• The Miz vs. Daniel Bryan
• The Bludgeon Brothers vs. The New Day (SmackDown Tag Team Championships)
• Baron Corbin vs. Finn Balor
• Dolph Ziggler (with Drew McIntyre) vs. Seth Rollins (Intercontinental Championship)
• Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Jeff Hardy (United States Championship)
• Braun Strowman vs. Kevin Owens (Money in the Bank contract is on the line)
• Carmella vs. Becky Lynch vs. Charlotte Flair (SmackDown Women's Championship)
• Alexa Bliss vs. Ronda Rousey (Raw Women's Championship)
• AJ Styles vs. Samoa Joe (WWE Championship)
• Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns (Universal Championship)

Let's take a look at who is favored to win each match. All betting odds will come courtesy of OddsShark.com.

The setup for these odds will use a (+) and (-) format, which means the Superstar favored to win will have the lowest possible number.

Pre-Show Betting Odds

The two-hour SummerSlam Kickoff special will feature three matches this year, with two of them being for championship gold.

In the battle for the cruiserweight title, Alexander (-130) is favored to retain the title over Gulak (-110) by a narrow margin. 

The odds reflect how hard this match is to predict. The six writers who contributed to the SummerSlam predictions panel were split three to three on who will win this match.

The contest for the Raw tag titles isn't nearly as close with The B-Team (-270) as the heavy favorites over The Revival (+190).

The mixed tag match also has decent margins with Andrade "Cien" Almas and Zelina Vega (-185) coming out ahead of Rusev and Lana (+145).

Non-Title Match Betting Odds

The main card will include three non-title singles matches. Constable Corbin will continue his rivalry with Balor while Bryan looks to finally make The Miz shut his mouth for good.

While Corbin (+135) has been given more screentime on Raw than he ever had on SmackDown, Balor (-175) is still favored to win at this point.

When it comes to The A-Lister and The Yes Man, the odds may surprise you. The Miz (-175) is considered the favorite over Bryan (+135).

Their feud has spanned years and the buildup has made this one of the most anticipated contests at SummerSlam. For many fans, this is the main event.

This is another match the expert panel is split on. Three of us think Bryan will come out on top and three think The Miz is destined to prove his critics wrong. 

The third non-title bout will have higher stakes. Strowman (-350) is the safe bet to retain his Money in the Bank contract over Owens (+250).

Tag Team and Midcard Title Odds

The SmackDown Tag Team, United States and Intercontinental Championships will also be on the line at SummerSlam.

The U.S. title will be up for grabs in a rematch from Extreme Rules. Hardy (+260) may have to wait for another run with the belt as Nakamura (-380) is the heavy favorite.

The match for the IC title is a bit closer with Rollins (-210) favored to win back the title from Ziggler (+160) now that he has Dean Ambrose to even the odds against Drew McIntyre outside the ring.

The SmackDown tag titles may change hands as The New Day (-140) is a slightly safer bet than The Bludgeon Brothers (+100).

This is yet another situation where we were split on the expert panel. Myself, Graham Matthews and Chris Roling all picked The New Day while Erik Beaston, Kevin Berge and Anthony Mango have The Bludgeon Brothers selected to win. 

Odds for the Women's Championship Matches

Raw and SmackDown will both have their women's titles defended at SummerSlam in two completely different types of matches.

Rowdy Ronda will receive her second shot at winning gold since debuting with the company when she battles Bliss on Sunday.

Unsurprisingly, Rousey (-320) is the favorite to win over Bliss (+240), but this may be a situation where the obvious outcome is exactly what WWE tries to avoid. 

OddsShark had Asuka listed to win at WrestleMania 34 over Charlotte by a large margin and we all remember how that turned out, so betting on Rousey is not a sure thing. 

In fact, Rowdy Ronda was the odds-on favorite heading into Money in the Bank against Nia Jax and she didn't leave with the belt. We may see the same thing happen again on Sunday. 

As for SmackDown's women, things are a bit trickier with three competitors. Here is a breakdown of the odds for this match.

• Lynch (+205)
• Field to beat Lynch (-285)
• Carmella (+100)
• Field to beat Carmella (-140)
• Charlotte (+245)
• Field to beat Charlotte (-335)

The Main Events

The WWE and Universal Championships will be on the line in two monumental singles matches. 

When it comes to the blue brand, Styles (-260) is the favorite to win over Samoa Joe (+180), and the expert panel reflects the same thing with four writers picking The Phenomenal One to retain the WWE Championship.

Then there's The Beast vs. The Big Dog. Reigns and Lesnar will hopefully have their final match on Sunday so both men can move on after a feud that has dragged on for far too long.

OddsShark has Reigns (-280) picked to win over Lesnar (+200), but the same site had Reigns selected to win at WrestleMania 34 and The Greatest Royal Rumble, too, and by larger margins. 

This is exactly why betting on pro wrestling is so dangerous. The only determining factor in who wins a match is McMahon's preference. Performance, talent and common sense don't factor into the equation too often. 

Five out of six writers on the expert panel have Reigns as their predicted winner, but Berge also thinks Strowman will cash in his Money in the Bank contract to win the title at the end of the night, so anything is possible at this point. 

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What are your predictions for SummerSlam?